Hailsham

Jenny Seale

BONFIRE BINGO: Tonight, Friday, the first fundraising event after this year’s Bonfire Spectacular in October. Fundraising starts towards next year’s event. Doors open 7pm for eyes down at 7.30pm at the Charles Hunt Centre, Vicarage Field. There is a raffle and refreshments.

KINGS HEAD KARAOKE: If you fancy a bit of a sing song, go along to the Kings Head, South Road tomorrow, Saturday, at 7.30pm.

CAKE FOR THE CARERS: Go along to community hub, Dippy Doodah, on Monday for a tea and cake chit chat drop-in if you are a carer. Between 2.45pm and 3.45pm Care for The Carers provides free information, support and advice for unpaid carers. If you are not able to make it along, you can contact them on (01323) 738390.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT: This Town Council committee meets on Tuesday at Hailsham Town Council offices in the Fleur de Lys meeting room at 6.30pm. Public and press may go along and have the first 15 minutes to speak if they wish. Details on the Town Council website.

ASSORTED NUTS: This is the live band that will be entertaining members and visitors at Deanland Jazz Club at the Inn on the Park (off the A22 at Golden Cross) on Tuesday evening from 8pm to 10.30pm. Entry is £10. There is plenty of parking, a dance floor, raffle and a bar. All welcome.

PETS AS THERAPY: The November meeting of the U3A is on Tuesday November 28 and not November 22 as previously advertised in other media and the U3A Newsletter. It is at the Civic Hall and the subject is about Pets as Therapy, a talk with dogs and photographs by Mrs Noel Austin. Tea at 2pm. Programme starts 2.30pm. Visitors welcome.

SCAMS AWARENESS WORKSHOP: U3A warns its members: Don’t be a victim. At Prospects House, George Street , a free scams awareness session is going to be run on Thursday from 12.30pm to 2pm. Book a place on 01323 446404 or e-mail hailsham@sussexcommunity.org.uk. More sessions will be run in January and February.

So, you’re soon going to celebrate your 70th birthday. The DVLA has sent you a form reminding you to renew your driving licence, and assuring you that it’s easy to do online. Having temporarily misplaced the form, you use Google to find the website and take the first option offered. You fill in the requested licence details, only to discover that you have to pay 90 pence to get the official form through the post. This might make you a bit suspicious, and you’d be right. If you pay up and they send you the form, which will look official, you will be asked to supply your bank details and will then be charged £38 every fortnight for ‘services’. This happened to one of our members recently, but luckily she realised in time and did not supply her details. Think you wouldn’t fall for such a scam? Not long ago a friend of Sir Richard Branson asked Branson to repay the money he’d lent him for a charitable cause. The entrepreneur knew nothing about the loan, and they both soon realized that the friend had been conned for a considerable amount of money. It can happen to anyone. Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and can be delivered by phone, a person on your doorstep, email or post. A phone call might claim to be from the police, your bank, the tax office or a computer firm. A caller at your front door might tell you that a hole in your roof needs urgent repair. An email might ask you to help a friend in an emergency, or inform you that you’ve won some money. A convincing letter could offer you the chance to claim a tax refund. Some individuals have lost their life savings to these scam merchants. Don’t let them take advantage of you. Age UK’s Scam Avoidance Advice is available online at http://www.ageuk .org.uk/moneymatters/consumer- advice/scamsadvice/. Latest Scams recorded by the National Crime and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Website http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ news.

YARN BOMBING: Join the Big Knit at Dippy Doodah, Hailsham High Street, next Friday, November 24, from 1.30pm to 3pm for a sew and knit session. Wool is provided. Calling all crafty folk to be part of this community project.

LIGHTS SWITCH-ON: Next Friday, November 24, the town will officially switch on its Christmas lights. The evening entertainment all starts at 4pm and at 6pm the town centre will be transformed into a winter wonderland of twinkling Christmas lights. The evening will include a spectacular show on Vicarage Field featuring festive entertainment to include carol singing from students of Hailsham Community College and Grovelands Community Primary School from 4.30pm, leading up to the Christmas lights switch-on. The lucky winners of the Best Christmas Pizza Design competition, organised by Domino’s Pizza in partnership with Hailsham Town Council, which will be announced before the switch-on, will press the button to turn on the town’s Christmas lights. If that was not enough, Hailsham Lions will be there with their candy floss stall and Santa and his Sleigh, courtesy of Hailsham Rotary Club, will be handing out free sweets to children. Hailsham FM will be playing Christmas music throughout the event and Hailsham Parish Church will be hosting their Open Church from 6.15pm to 7pm, where there will be background music and free hot drinks served, including hot chocolate.

WINTER EXHIBITION: As winter kicks in, bring some sunshine back, visit Gallery North’s Winter Exhibition and be uplifted by the summery scenes in the main exhibiting rooms. The exhibition, which runs till December 21, includes a selection of work produced at Atelier Lerignac in south-west France over the past few years. A list of exhibitors in this section of the exhibition can be found on the Gallery North website. There is a range of other work by the gallery’s resident artists, all for sale. Free entry. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm, 70 High Street.

CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT: Hailsham Choral are celebrating Christmas with an A-Z of Christmas Carols on Thursday December 21 at 7.30pm in St Mary’s Parish Church. Tickets available on the door or to be sure of a seat in advance from the Camera Centre, High Street or www.wegottickets.com Adults £10, U16s £5. Visit www.hailshamchoral.org for more information.

CHRISTMAS MARKET: Although some way off yet, just to get the excitement going, here is what is planned so far. It is on Saturday 16 December from 9am to 4pm. There will be fine food, Christmas gifts, decorations, cards, cakes, jewellery and various festive refreshments on sale to tempt visitors. Festive entertainment throughout the day will include carol singing from Hailsham Choral Society and Christchurch, and live music from El Bandos Burros, as well as a seasonal repertoire by Wealden Brass at Hailsham Parish Church at 3pm. Face painting and Santa and his Sleigh will be attending the event and Christmas music will be playing courtesy of Hailsham FM, Hailsham Parish Church will be open and welcome visitors from 10am to noon.

HAILSHAM PANTO: Tickets for this year’s production, Aladdin, are now on sale. Performances take place from January 24 to 28 every evening with three performances on Saturday and two on Sunday. Pick up tickets at the Pavilion Box Office in George Street.

SPOTTED: Keen local naturalist, Charlie Peverett, has been out and about spotting wildlife in and around Hailsham. Short eared owls are returning. The Levels near Hailsham are among the best places in Sussex to see these day-flying owls. A few will be back by the end of the month, look out for them from New Bridge Road, between Rickney and Herstmonceux, in the couple of hours before dusk. You might see a Hen Harrier hunting here too, along with out all-year-round Marsh Harriers. On the ground, Brown Hares keep a low profile, but the twitch of an ear might give one away. If the leaves have been blown off the trees it is now easier to see the mixed flocks of little birds along the Cuckoo Trail and in the woodland. Family groups of Long-tailed and Blue Tits get mixed up with Great and Coal Tits, Nuthatches, Goldcrests and Treecreepers. In abbot’s Wood the Roe Deer have less cover to hide them too. In town, Starlings gather noisily on the wires in Upper Horsebridge and on the phone mast near the fire station. When they suddenly stop chattering, a Sparrowhawk may be coming through. At the Common Pond, a grey November day can be brightened by a lemon-bellied Grey Wagtail, or even, with a bit of luck, a Kingfisher. Follow Charlie on Twitter @cuckootrailer.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY: Thursday was the annual Natural History Competition, both print and projected digital images. The subject should be shown in its natural habitat wherever possible and can include wildlife, birds, bees and butterflies photographed in the garden. The competition was judged by Rosemary Wilman FRPS, AFIAP and BPE5 who spent two years as president of the Royal Photographic Society. Rosemary’s photographic interests are diverse and include travel, landscape, natural history and whatever takes her fancy at the time. Winners of the Print: Highly Commended Ray Beckwith Red Kite, and David Mills Anemone Nemerosa, Bates Green Farm. 3, Gannet at Three Years, Bob Sherrard. 2, Earth Star, Alan Bousfield. 1, Avocet, Janice Payne. Winners of the PDI: Highly Commended: Porcelain Fungus Alan Bousfield, Flowering Teasel Janet Monk, and Hummingbird Hawkmoth Roy Broad. 3, Common Seal, Fiona Flower. 2, Polar Bear, Svalbard Gay Biddlecombe. 1, Speckled Wood, Mandy Willard. The chairman thanked Rosemary for doing such an excellent job judging.